Warning blinker signal for automobiles



1960 M; LEVEY 2,948,257

WARNING BLINKER SIGNAL FOR AUTOMOBILES Filed May is, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet1 I INVENTOR. MAURICE LEVEY ATTJMFY 9, 960 M. LEVEY 2,948,257

WARNING BLINKER SIGNAL FOR AUTOMOBILES Filed May 18, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet2 2 as .86 I "$36 4 2a 6 United States Fatent O 2,948,257 WARNINGBLINKER SIGNAL FOR AUTOMOBILES Maurice Levey, Hotel Berkeley Carteret,Boardwalk, Asbury. Park, NJ.

Filed May'18, ,1959, Ser. No.,8 1 4,035

'2 Claims. (Cl. 1166'3) Thisinvention relates to highway signalingdevices for use on highways towarn dn'vers of oncoming automotivevehicles of danger and more particularly rel-ates to a movable blinkertype signal. device.

Heretofore' it has been common practice to use road flares or stationarywarning signs: such as dormant silver plates. to minimize accidents whena truck, car or other automotive vehicle is. stalled or parked along ahighway. Such devices are not as efficient as desired, particularlybecause of lack of proper visibility under various conditions, in bothdaytime and night time.

It is therefore the main object of the present invention to providev animproved highway signaling device that can be readily observed by theoncoming motorist.

Another object of the invention is to provide amovable highway signalingdevice that is actuated by wind' velocity.

Yet another object: is. to provide a wind actuated highway signalingdevice having a vane with one surface colored, red and itsv oppositesurface colored yellow to produce; a blinking effect, upon turning.

Another object of the invention is to. provide ahighway signallingdevice that can readilly bemounted on. the soft shoulder of the highway.

A further object of the invention isto provide a movable highwaysignaling device that is simple in construction and that can bemanufactured and sold at a reasonable cost.

For further comprehension of the invention, and of the objects andadvantages thereof, reference will be had tothe following descriptionand. accompanying drawings, and to the appendedclaims in which thevarious novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

In the accompanying drawings forming a material part of this disclosure:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a movable highway signaling deviceembodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged side elevational view of the device, the base andtubular housing being shown in dotdash lines.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view taken on the plane ofthe line 33 of Fig. 2, the vane being shown turned ninety degrees.

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view taken on the plane of the line 4-4of Fig. 2, the base and tubular housing being shown in full lines.

Fig. 5 is an exploded perspective view of the signaling device.

Fig. 6 is a plan view of the vane.

Fig. 7 is a plan view of the top disk.

Referring in detail to the drawings, in Fig. l, a highway signalingdevice made in accordance with the present invention is shown anddesignated generally by the reference numeral 10. This signaling devicecomprises a base 12 which is preferably square in plan and may be madeof wood, metal or any other suitable material. The base may be coloredred or part red and part white in order to attract attention. A socketopening 14 is formed in the upper end surface of the base, which openingis Patented Aug; 9, 1960 2 preferably round incross section and extendsabout halfway down the base.

An upright elongated cylindrical solid metal post '16 extends from thetopof the base with its bottom end supported in the socket opening 14.The post extends through a tubular metal: sleeve member 18 which seatsloosely on the top surface of'the base, and constitutes a housing. Theouter surface ofthe housing may be colored Evith a color contrasting tothe color or colors of the ase.

A substantially square-shaped split frame 20 is supported on and fixedto the topend of the post 16 projecting upwardly of the post. The frameis composed of a narrow one-piece flat metal bar shaped into verticalside walls 22;. 22- connected. at the top by a horizontal top wall. 24.At the bottom of each side wall 22, the bar extends. inwardly tov apoint closely spaced from the center of the frame; providing a bottomWall portion 26-;

The bottom wall portions terminate in downward extensions28. The.extensions are spaced from each other and have their inner surfacesformed with grooves 32, extending from top to bottom thereof, thegrooves being arcuate in cross section to conform to the curvature ofthe post; 16. The frame is adapted to be placed over the top of the post16. andisfixed thereto by means of screws 3.6 passing through alignedopenings 38 and 40 in the extension 28 and post. 16, respectively.

A. circular metal disk 42 isiixedto the top of the frame adjacent thetop wall 24 by screws 44 extending through openings 46 and 48 in the topwall 24 and disk 42, re.- spectively, opposed; notches 50 in the diskpermitting assembly ofthe disk.

A similar disk 52 having opposed notches similar to notches 50 isassembled and secured to the bottomof the frame, adjacent the bottomwall portion 26 by screws 56 extending through aligned openings in thebottom wall portion; and disk 52. Disk 52 is formed with a centralopening 58.

In accordance with the present invention, a signaling unit or deviceindicated generally at 60 is rotatably sup- POI-ted by the post 16 andis disposed in the frame be tween the disks 42 and 52 and sidewalls 22thereof. This signalling unit or device comprises an elongated steppedbearing member comprising a solid cylindrical metal body 64 having; anelongated cylindrical extension 66 at one end thereof, the top end asviewed in Figs. 4, the extension being smaller in diameter than the bodyproviding an annular shoulder 68. The extension is split centrally asindicated at 70 forming two halves 72, 72. The halves 72 are formed withspaced aligned holes 73. Intermediate its ends, the body 64 is formedwith an annular horizontally disposed flange 74 that terminates in adownwardly extending annular flange 76 spaced from the body as viewed inFig. 4. The other bottom end of the body is formed with a socket opening78 to receive the top end of a shaft 89 which is secured in the socketopening by a setscrew 82.

Shaft 80 extends centrally through a central bore 84 formed in the topend of the post 16 and is supported by upper and lower ball bearingunits 86 and 88, respectively, disposed at the top and bottom. of ametal sleeve 99 lining the bore 84- and secured therein by the screws36. The bottom end of the bore 84 is narrower than the remainder thereofproviding a shoulder 92 on which the outer race of the bottom ballbearing unit 88 seats, and the bottom end of the shaft is narrower thanthe remainder of the shaft as indicated at 94, forming a shoulder 96seated on the inner face ofthe bottom ball bearing unit 88. The top endof the post 16 is formed with an annular recess 98 to receive thedepending flange 76 of the bearing member, the bottom edge of the flangebeing spaced from the base of the recess.

A vane or flag 100 of rectangular shape is supported in a vertical planeby the extension 66 of the bearing member. The vane has arectangular-shaped body of sheet material curved in opposite directionsat its ends as indicated at 102. Midway its ends, along one long edgethereof, the vane is formed with a slot 104 intersecting said edge, theslot being formed with a central notch 106. A pair of spaced verticallyaligned holes 108 are formed in the vane in line with the slot andnotch. The vane may be made of any suitable metal such as sheet aluminumor sheet metal and then coated with suitable substance to increase itsnoticeability. One surface of the vane is preferably coated with a redpaint or an orangered fluorescent paint so as to attract the attentionof the oncoming motorist in the daytime. This paint can be seen at agreat distance. The opposite surface of the vane is preferably paintedwith a paint of lighter hue such as yellow. The anti-friction mountingof the vane permits ready turning thereof by the slightest gust of Wind.

:In assembling the signaling device, the signaling unit including thebearing member 66, shaft 80 and mounting for the shaft is installed inthe bore 84 of the post 16.

The frame 20, with disks 42 and 52 in place, is then slipped over theinstalled unit and top of the post and secured to the post 16 by meansof the screws 36. The vane 100 is then installed in position on theextension 66 by slipping the notch 106 thereof over the top of theextension into the slit 70 and forcing the vane inwardly of theextension, the slot and notch permitting this operation. The vane isthen secured in position by means of screws 110 extending through thealigned holes 73 and 198 in the halves 72 of the extension and in thevane, respectively. A pin 112 extends through a transverse opening inthe bottom end of the shaft 80 and outwardly thereof on both sideswhereby upon withdrawal of the bearing member and shaft 80, theanti-friction devices and sleeve 90 will be withdrawn.

In use, when an accident has occurred on the highway or an automobilehas stalled, the signaling device is placed in position on the highwayby placing the base on the soft shoulder of the highway. The post 16 isof sufficient height so that the frame and signaling unit can be seen bythe driver of an approaching automotive vehicle. With the least wind,the vane will spin around and the alternating appearance of the red andyellow colors will produce a blinking effect that will be effective inwarning oncoming motorists of impending danger in sufficient time sothey can bring their automobile to stop even if they are traveling at ahigh rate of speed.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiment of myinvention, it is to be understood'that I do not limit myself to theprecise construction herein disclosed and that various changes andmodifications may be made within the scope of the invention as definedin the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim as new, and desire tosecure by United States Letters Patent 1. In a highway signaling device,a flat base, having a central socket, a solid cylindrical post supportedin said socket, said post having a central bore in the top end thereof,an open frame mounted on the top end of said post and protrudingthereabove, said frame constituted by a fiat metal bar having sideWalls, a top wall connecting the side walls, bottom wall portions spacedfrom each other and extensions depending from the ends of said bottomWall portions, said extensions disposed on opposite sides of the top endof the post and fixed thereto, a circular disk at the top of said frame,another circular disk at the bottom of the frame, a signaling assemblyrotatably mounted on the top of said post, said assembly including abearing member having a solid cylindrical body with an extension at oneend thereof, said extension being slit centrally for its length, theother end of said body having a central socket, a shaft having one endfixed in the socket of said body and extending into the bore in saidpost, anti-friction units sleeved around said shaft at its top andbottom ends and a sheet metal vane disposed verically in the slit insaid extension and secured to said extension, said vane confined withinthe walls and disks of said frame and adapted to be engaged by the wind,said surface having one surface colored red and its other surfacecolored yellow, the body of said vane being curved at its ends inopposite directions.

2. A highway signaling device as defined in claim 1, wherein a sleevelines the bore in the post between the antifriction units, the post hasan annular recess at its top end, and the body of the bearing member hasa depending flange extending into the recess in the post.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,565,285 Merker Dec. 15, 1925 1,825,564 Whitlow Sept. 29, 19312,781,017 Fuller Feb. 12, 1952 2,693,044 Roemisch Nov. 2, 1954

